Criminals Using Masking Tape to Mark Homes for Burglary IN LAKE FOREST: Local Residents should be concerned

📰 Criminals Using Masking Tape to Mark Homes for Burglary IN LAKE FOREST: Local Residents should be concerned.

Frank Wagoner— Lake Forest, CA

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This happened in my neighborhood this week. I spotted it on 3 of my neighbor's houses and more on the adjacent streets homes. The markings were all similar, the masking tape was in a loop with sticky side out the width of a finger placed on the front of the garage door, or on / near the door frames. Home burglaries are not just for LA. Too much heat there now. Possibly related on Tuesday, A person who was questionable was walking on our street interacting with some residents pretending to be another resident most did not think he was a resident.

Residents in my neighborhood and beyond are being warned about a subtle but increasingly common tactic used by organized burglary crews: marking homes with small pieces of masking tape to determine whether a property is occupied. What looks like a harmless strip of painter’s tape may actually be a quiet signal left by criminals checking which houses are safe to rob.

According to my research on the internet, the method is simple but effective. This could be phase 1, further markings may be something like a small piece of tape is placed across a front‑door lock, mailbox, or gate. If the tape remains undisturbed for hours or days, burglars take it as a sign that no one is home — making the property a potential target. Investigators have documented similar tactics in multiple California cities, where homeowners discovered tape placed precisely over keyholes or door hardware in ways that could not have happened by accident.

Law enforcement agencies say this technique fits into a broader pattern of premeditated surveillance used by modern burglary crews. In other cases, criminals have planted hidden cameras disguised with camouflage tape or artificial foliage to monitor homeowners’ routines before breaking in. These devices have been found in bushes, across the street from targeted homes, and even attached to landscaping.

I would be careful when typing a code on a keypad to open doors or garage door as a hidden camera could record the code. If you do spot a camera, I would recommend not touching it to avoid destroying evidence, and call the police.

Authorities warn that these groups are often highly organized, sometimes operating across multiple neighborhoods and even multiple counties. Some crews have been linked to larger burglary rings that use advanced tools such as Wi‑Fi jammers, fake delivery uniforms, and disguised surveillance equipment to avoid detection and disable home security systems.

Police are urging residents to stay alert for unusual markings or objects around their property — including tape, stickers, or small devices that seem out of place. Even a single strip of tape can be a red flag. In several documented cases, homeowners initially dismissed the tape as a prank or leftover from a delivery, only to later learn it was part of a coordinated effort to “check in” on their home’s occupancy.

Officials recommend removing any suspicious markers immediately, notifying neighbors, and reporting the incident to local law enforcement. As burglary crews become more sophisticated, community awareness remains one of the strongest defenses.

Frank Wagoner

I live in the housing tract near Lake Forest and Rockfield. This is happening here, not in a distant place.

I feel repeat criminals need to be given actual sentences in prison

I am also running for State Assembly for our district.